These proteges are likely to eat into BJP votes more than erode Congress bases

JAIPUR: The ruling BJP is likely to face headwinds from its own protégés who had quit the party and are likely to fight against it in the upcoming assembly elections. And the common factor of resentment among these ‘rebel’ leaders, according to political analyst Rakesh Srivastava, is the working style of chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

Sheo (Barmer) MLA Manvendra Singh is the latest in this list which includes erstwhile BJP leaders like Ghanshyam Tiwari, Hanuman Beniwal and Kirori Singh Bainsla, who has resigned from all BJP posts in 2010. Interestingly, they all belong to different communities and have considerable clout on their respective community members.

They are likely to eat into BJP votes more than erode the Congress base. Apart from Bainsla, who has not yet announced whether he will contest the polls, others will impact BJP’s prospects in select seats. Insiders say Manvendra’s wife Chitra Singh will fight in his seat.

MANVENDRA SINGHSon of Jaswant Singh, former Union minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet, Manvendra Singh quit the BJP only three days ago. He vows to uproot the Raje government from Rajasthan. He announced that he will contest the next Lok Sabha election from Barmer from where his father Jaswant Singh was denied a BJP ticket.

Influence: Belonging to the erstwhile royal Jasol principality, Manvendra Singh has a rich Rajput legacy. His family has a great influence over the Rajput community spread across Jaisalmer and Barmer. The alleged BJP’s ill-treatment of Jaswant Singh has won Manvendra the sympathy of all communities — Brahmins, Muslims and Rajputs.

Claim: He said he will fight for selfrespect against the BJP.

GHANSHYAM TIWARISix-time MLA from BJP, Tiwari had twice been minister in the BJP government. He left BJP in June this year protesting against the ‘working style’ of Vasundhara Raje. He has formed his own party —Bharat Vahini Sena.

Inf luence: A strong Brahmin face, Tiwari has influence over his community in Sikar and Jaipur. In 2013, he was elected from Sanganer constituency with the highest margin of over 60,000 votes. His party may eat into BJP votes in at least 15 constituencies where Brahmin voters are in considerable number. Claim: He said he will uproot Vasundhara Raje from Rajasthan.

HANUMAN BENIWALA firebrand Jat leader from Nagaur, Beniwal was first elected as MLA from Khinvsar on a BJP ticket in 2008. But due to differences with Vasundhara Raje, he quit BJP.

Influence: He has great influence in Nagaur. From being a student leader, he has a tight grip over youth, especially from the dominant Jat community.

Claim: He said he will not let BJP win a single seat from Nagaur.

KIRORI SINGH BAINSL AThe poster boy of the Gujjar agitation which rocked the nation in 2008, Bainsla, with his trademark lathi, took a plunge into politics by fighting the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur on BJP ticket. But he lost to Namo Narain Meena of Congress.

Since then he has distanced himself from BJP. Influence: He still enjoys a good grip over the Gujjar community. As he had spearheaded the Gujjar agitation, he can influence at least 35 seats, especially in eastern Rajasthan where Gujjars dominate. Claim: He said he will support whichever party promises 5% quota to Gujjars.